Laetus
by Fruit-Sexual
Summary: Kellam and Miriel share a rather insightful conversation before bed one summer evening. [MiriKell]


Oh my goodness, what is this? I do believe it to be a Kellam/Miriel piece of [poorly written] literature. I think I can honestly say this is like the first polished one to be posted anywhere [I know of only 1 other drabble over on tumblr based on one of my images] so…yippee? Also i apologize in advanced for my murder of the dictionary.

Kellam and Miriel share a rather insightful conversation one summer evening. [MiriKell]

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It was very quiet that summer evening. Though midnight was still a few hours off, the main roads were rather deserted, with barely a carriage or townsfolk passing about. The evening was warm, but comfortable with a light breeze that rustled the dry leaves on their branches. Crickets chirped while glowing insects drifted across, almost as if to mimic the stars above in the clear night sky. It was such an enjoyable night, he thought.

Kellam watched the dark road for a moment from his place by the window. Resting his large hands on the light colored pane, he inhaled a deep breath of the crisp air. 'Good… not too muggy tonight,' he thought to himself as he pushed away from the frame. Reaching up, he pulled the glass panel down to shut it tight, latching the lock into place before adjusting the curtains. Turning about, he checked the main seating room for anything out of place. Going from room to room, he set about making sure everything was neat and in its proper location. Deeming everything to be in acceptable order he made his way down the hall to check one last thing. Passing along a rather thick door, he paused to pull the brass handle, making sure it was still pulled completely shut. Though it had not been used for the past few weeks, he always made note to check that it was undisturbed. His wife would not approve of her work being tampered with or gathering dust while she was… occupied with other things. When everything on his mental agenda had been checked off, he headed off to the main bedroom.

Kellam lightened his steps as best he could as he neared the door. It was slightly ajar and he could see faint golden light pouring from it to brighten the hallway. Slipping past the frame, he noticed an oil lamp lightly burning in the far corner of the room and one other candle still lit beside the bed, leaving most of the bedroom relatively dark. Approaching the large bed in the center of the room, he wasn't surprised to see his wife on her designated side, fast asleep. The candle beside her on the bedside dresser flickered along despite it being unneeded. Miriel was already dressed in her thin nightdress as she laid upon her back in a collection of pillows with a thin linen sheet draped rather askew over her ankles. Kellam watched as her chest rose and fell in perfect rhythm, her mouth open ever so slightly as the quick puffs of air passed her lips. Her thin glasses rested rather low upon her nose and an open book was laid print down over her chest, her hands barely ghosting a hold atop the cover. Despite trying to keep as silent as possible, Kellam couldn't stop the amused sound that escaped from the back of his throat at the sight. Letting his gaze travel along her form, he paused upon her rather swollen middle and smiled, unable to contain himself.

Despite his small moment of exuberance, he couldn't help but feel a bit bad for Miriel. Pregnancy wasn't being very easy on her, despite her enthusiasm and early preparation for it. When first learning of her conception, true to form, Miriel saw it as a delightful opportunity to gather data first hand for her ever-growing collection of 'understandings of the world around her'. It also didn't hurt that a future version of their son had come to their current time, and took away most of the guesswork. Still, Miriel jumped upon the task of collecting data the moment she could, eagerly creating a log of any and all cravings, discomforts, and all changes within her body that came about. While Kellam was aware of most of the changes just by observation as her husband, there was a collection he wished he remained ignorant of. While Miriel was eager for all information, he was quite happy not knowing of her more… private matters and oddities. He would of remained oblivious too, but there were times when even Miriel was unable to jot notes for herself. Whether from morning sickness [or late afternoon sickness in her case], fatigue, or any other reason, if his wife was not up to it, he foolishly offered to write for her. He immediately regretted this decision when the topic one day became about … discharges… And then soon after, Kellam found himself to be taking most notes for her as she passed her halfway mark. Miriel thought it proper he 'catalogue the sporadic shifts in her emotional disposition', since he was a key observer to them anyway. While rather awkward and a touch embarrassing, he performed his task without question and with little comment. It made her happy, so that was all the reason he needed… and he did find her startled reactions to the notes to be cute.

From rather early on in her pregnancy, Miriel suffered severely from an intense shift in balance. Normally the picture of grace, Miriel had always been precise and methodical in her ways. Every action she undertook was for a set reason and always performed at peek efficiency. But as weeks soon turned to months and her increase in figure grew more noticeable, Kellam was the first to witness her newly acquired clumsiness. At first, the shift was so minor, he suspected even his ever observant wife was oblivious to it. Whenever Miriel had walked about before, she had always kept her arms in close quarter to her body. She very rarely swung her arms in stride and usually had a book close to her chest, as she seemed to follow an imaginary straight line to her destination. One afternoon, he caught sight of something he'd never seen Miriel do before. As she turned a corner while at the Shepherd's stronghold, she reached out her hand and trailed it along a table as she passed. Kellam made no mention of it at first, assume it to be nothing, until he noticed the habit persisted. It was only when she bumped her hip into a table at their home one morning, did he piece together that she seemed to be walking closer to whatever she turned by. The knight found it even more shocking that Miriel, who had somehow managed notice him when no one else had, had not even been aware of the fact when he brought it up to her. Regardless, Miriel became quite aware of this new information for herself when her hands suddenly seemed to lose their ability to grip. At random occurrences, Miriel found her fingers to be useless at times as she dropped books she was placing back on the shelf, spilling her tea a number of times, and almost toppling her ink well when she sat to write an extensive collection of notes. With a few choice words on the matter in her extensive vocabulary, the mage still took most incidents in stride, at least until she had a particularly 'clumsy' incident within her private study. With an entire set of glass beakers smashed on the floor and a stack of notes that had taken weeks to compile effectively ruined, Miriel deemed herself now unfit to function in her own quarters. As a good husband, Kellam tried to convince her otherwise, but the mage would not be swayed, refusing to endanger any more of her studies. So with that, Miriel cleaned her work area and put any experiments and research on hold until she deemed herself back to proper working order. The room had yet to be properly used since then. Though his wife claimed she still had plenty of outside observation to keep her occupied, Kellam knew she was a bit upset over the loss of her study, even only temporarily.

Leaning over the bed, he pulled at the thin sheet crumpled about her feet and neatly pulled it up her legs. Though the evening was warm, he knew Miriel disliked her legs to be uncovered while she slept, even in summer months. Straightening the blanket to neatly rest over her lower half, Kellam rose and turned fully to his wife. With the tips of his fingers, he gently trailed them through the silken strands of red along her forehead, shifting them off to one side. He allowed himself to follow through the motion a few more times, before continuing along to gently brush some of her hair over her one ear. Though his wife tended to question the purpose of such actions when she was awake, he knew she liked his little touches regardless. So, really, that seemed like a valid enough reason. Despite his light ministrations, Miriel remained fast asleep. She was constantly tired as of late. It hadn't alarmed him, at first though, as Miriel had explained to him that it was a rather common symptom. But, he couldn't deny the slight twinge of concern he felt at times as he quietly watched her. It was a jarring sight for him, to see his normally tireless and energetic scientist of a wife, who could be relentless in her pursuit of a hidden answer, suddenly barely able to stay awake passed their dinner hour. He was thankful though, that it was not a constant state for her. Some days she seemed to have more energy than ever, eagerly going about her day with an energized vigor, and on others, it took all her effort to just keep her head raised from the table. Still, it was starting to hit the mark where Miriel's sluggish days were slowly outnumbering her energetic ones, and with still a month of waiting to do, the knight wasn't quite sure what to expect for the remainder of time.

Kellam was relieved at the lack of activity about the town that evening, as it had been some time since there had been a relatively quiet night. With the warm weather, many of the locals wanted to enjoy the summer evenings to the fullest, which usually meant a lot of undesirable noise for the folks that needed to get up rather early in the morning, like himself. Plus, he wanted to make sure Miriel got as much restful sleep as she could at this point. Speaking of which, Kellam gently removed his wife's hands from where they rested upon the cover of her book. Making sure to keep his finger on the current page, he lifted the hardback from Miriel's chest and opened the dresser beside their bed. Reaching inside the top drawer, Kellam pulled out a navy scrap of velvet Miriel had taken to using as a page holder and slipped it towards the top of the crease before shutting the book. Closing the drawer, he carefully placed the book precisely atop the center of the dresser. While Miriel absolutely abhorred when books were left about when not in use, she had eventually allowed one minor exception concerning the rule. Due to her rather constant state of drowsiness, Miriel was no longer able to make it through a book without dozing off. Though Kellam knew her to get so immersed in her reading that she would lose touch with the activities around her, she very rarely fell asleep while reading beforehand. But now it was becoming commonplace for him to find his wife curled up in a chair fast asleep when he returned home from his long hours with the Shepherds or to nod off mid passage in bed as she had that evening. After enough crumpled and torn pages or always losing her reading place, Miriel allowed for her current book [only one permitted at a time] to be left out until it was finished, provided it was set neatly in designated locations. Though he was still required follow the rule to the fullest, Kellam happily endorsed her plan, as he didn't want her overtaxing herself with constantly putting her books away or retrieving them.

With her reading safely in its designated location, Kellam gently slipped her glasses from the bridge of her nose and placed them within reach on the dresser. Miriel had already broken a pair from sleeping with them on and she didn't need to lose another. Glasses were surprisingly expensive to repair or replace, he'd learned. Folding them shut, he set them carefully on the hard flat surface. Just as he was about to turn away, something caught his attention.

"…Mmmmm…. my thanks…Kellam…"

At the breathy sound of his name, he turned to face Miriel, not surprised to see her eyes still shut. Though she had yet to move from her position, Kellam could tell his wife was now conscious by her change in breathing and the light shifting she did upon her pillows.

"Oh. I didn't mean to wake you. Would you like me to get you anything?" Kellam kept his tone low and soft as he leaned down over her form again. Resting an arm on the headboard to steady himself, he brushed his fingers through her dark red hair as he had earlier. Miriel made a light sound and shifted herself while her husband continued. "I could put the water on if you'd like some tea."

Miriel's only response to him was a sluggish shake of her head. Kellam couldn't stop the smile that grew on his lips to see her answer with such a gesture. It was clear how tired Miriel truly was, as her vocabulary tended to reflect on it. With her usual attentiveness, his wife could weave an elegant symphony of sophistication and a true caliber for knowledge to put any scholar to shame. But tonight she seemed only able to string common words together. Lowering himself, he lightly brushed his cheek along hers before turning his head just so, to plant a light kiss at the corner of her mouth.

"You should try and get back to sleep," Kellam stated in a whisper. He let himself linger beside her, enjoying the light contact from resting his head against his wife's. When Miriel gave no outward response other than another breathy sound, Kellam reluctantly leaned back to stand straight. As he stood, he raised his arms above his head, his fingertips ghosting the surface of the ceiling as he stretched his arms and spine as far as he could. Feeling a few of his bones pop pleasantly, he lowered his arms and extinguished the candle beside the bed. The room was cast in darkness, aside from the oil-burning lamp in the far opposite corner. It was dimmed low enough to not be a bother but it provided enough illumination should he or Miriel need to get up during the night. It wasn't particularly late but he knew he would have no trouble getting himself to sleep, especially on such a calm night. Walking around the double bed, Kellam went to his own side, slipping off his shirt for the evening and pulled on his loose sleeping trousers.

As he made to sit upon the mattress, Kellam noticed his wife shifting out of the corner of his vision. Turning to her, he was surprised to see her head turned in his direction, her eyes locked on him despite her lack of eyewear. Feeling her gaze sent a slight shiver down his spine. Even with all their time together, Kellam was still awed at the knowledge that there was now someone who would always be aware of his presence. Even at her most fatigued, Miriel could always spot him within a moment, always able to set her eyes on his form within mere seconds, no matter the distance or situation. Though he found her scrutiny to be nerve wracking at first, he hoped her gaze would never leave him for the rest of his days. She did so much more than merely 'notice' him; she was the first to truly _see_ him for so long… Well… soon there would be someone new that would be able to see him as well…

Pulling his legs up along the bed, Kellam let himself fall back into his [only] pillow before turning to face her properly, lacing his fingers together to rest them casually over his stomach. "Find a bit of energy now," he asked in good humor. The mage managed a light snort before answering with a tired smile and her husband chuckled lightly beside her. Snorting was something she rarely did before marriage, but now it was quite common, namely when directed at him.

"Mockery… of one's…spouse… is most…unbecoming." She paused for a moment to shut her eyes in a long blink before locking her gaze to his smiling face again. "I would like… to converse for a brief interval... I fear my body is… at the very brink of exhaustion for the evening, while… my mind is a surge… of mercurial contemplation. I suspect I will be unable to… adequately sedate myself otherwise."

Kellam internally soared to hear his wife speak in her usual manner. Even though she was tired, she was clearly feeling up to par and that was quite a relief to him. Most of the time, Kellam thought himself to be rather useless concerning Miriel's comforts, but he tried as best as he could. She reassured him constantly on his efforts and he wouldn't doubt her sincerity, [Miriel had no problem speaking her opinions after all] but, it still made him wish he could do more. Regardless, Miriel sounded like she needed an ear for her thoughts that evening. It was an aspect of their relationship that he enjoyed dearly. His wife actively enjoyed talking with him, so whether matters of science, thoughts of the hour, or anything at all, she never hesitated to engage him. After all, like him, Miriel rarely had anyone to truly speak to before they grew close. Whenever she initiated a conversation with another, it was either to sate her curiosity over an issue or for research purposes. It had never been for something so simple as just wishing to talk, and he was sure she felt the same as he did on the issue now. Silence could be nice, but someone to speak to and have listen was better.

Reaching across the bed, Kellam softly traced his hand along Miriel's bare arm. Gently taking her delicate wrist from where it rested upon her breast, he brought it over to his side, resting the back of her hand atop his chest. Still keeping a light hold on it, Kellam slowly traced along the inside of her palm with his thumb.

"I see. So, what shall we 'converse' about? Any particular train of thought?" He casually asked while running his calloused finger over a particularly sensitive vein in her wrist, causing Miriel's fingers to twitch in response.

She smiled again before letting her eyes close for a moment as she turned her head back to its original place. Now facing up towards the ceiling, Miriel stared up at the blank surface, almost as if to gather her thoughts. Kellam's smile fell as he watched, wondering if perhaps his wife was entertaining some unsavory thoughts. She didn't seem particularly troubled earlier, but Miriel was tricky at times as she could hide her inner troubles rather well. He thought himself to be rather good at noticing her little telltale signs of dismay, but …. Kellam paused his inner ramblings when he noticed his wife make a rather displeased face, almost as if she'd tasted something she didn't particularly care for, as she continued to stare above her.

"And that would be the particular conundrum that seems to plague me." Kellam turned his head more towards her, an expression of confusion along his features before she continued. "I fear my mental state seems to lack any point of convergence as of late. When I attempt to focus on one thought tangent, an agglomeration of vacillating thoughts quickly sets my mind in disarray. It is most disconcerting, as I have suffered through a number of migraines varying in duration and severity."

Though Kellam was always mindful of his wife's feelings, he couldn't help but chuckle at her confession. When Miriel snapped her head to face him, scowl already in place, he squeezed her hand before rubbing along her wrist and palm again in apology. It seemed to appease her as her scowl fell away to only a small frown. "Well, I suppose it's reassuring to hear that even the most assiduous and enlightened scientists can have off days. It's finally happened, Miriel, your mind has just attained too much knowledge," he stated in an upbeat tone to try and cheer her. With his last statement, he lifted her hand and pressed the back of her fingers to his lips. He knew Miriel was not fond of jokes concerning her endless hunger for knowledge, but he sometimes couldn't help himself. After all, she needed a good teasing now and then.

Strangely enough, Miriel made no comment on the matter. Instead she remained rather quiet, looking over at him in her observant way. Though her eyes were tired, there was a pleased air to them with her lips curled up in a happy little smile. When she remained silent, Kellam thought perhaps she had a minor mood swing, despite that she hadn't suffered though one in some time. When he made to question her on it, she spoke first.

"Have you taken notice of your rather profound vocabulary now," she asked Kellam, who was surprised to hear the humor in her voice. Sitting up slightly, he looked to her in confusion once more. Surely she was teasing him now.

"'Profound'? I highly doubt that, Miriel. I grew up as a farm boy, remember?"

"I am well aware, though, I would hardly categorize you as such. Your vast understanding of natural occurrences and your insight in varied subjects is always most engaging and fascinating." Though it was dark and she without her glasses, Miriel knew a blush was creeping along his cheeks from her words. "But to my earlier statement, when we had first begun to socialize, your speech patterns were almost insufferably simple and you were afflicted by quite a stutter. At present, however, there is not a quake in your linguistics and your vocabulary has expanded considerably. It has also been some time since you could not follow one of my explanations. True, there are times you mimic my speech in jest, but even I am fully aware of those instances."

"Oh. Well…" he chuckled lightly, using his free hand to run through his dark hair as he thought over Miriel's claim. "I still stutter, but it's only when I'm nervous or with new people. I suppose… I have picked up a few new words over the years. I mean, with all the books we have now, they're just filled to the brim with them! Heh, and I suppose you've just rubbed off on me, too."

"Hmm… a sound assumption. Perhaps, we should gather more examples and see what other qualities we've mimicked from one another. It should prove to be most fascinating."

Miriel lightly hummed in thought at the prospect. The hand that had been resting at her side came up to trail along her middle, smoothing out the fabric of her nightdress. Kellam noticed as she continued to run her hand over her stomach, as she was prone to do, before he smiled at her. "Hey, so maybe Laurent will take after my speech pattern this time, you think?"

His wife said nothing as she gave him a sidelong glance, her mouth forming the smallest of frowns. Clearly, Miriel did not approve of that idea, he thought. Though he meant it completely as a joke, it was still a discouraging response. Hoping to recover himself, Kellam gave an awkward little laugh as he turned to look at the ceiling before shifting against his pillow. "I suppose not then… Oh well, just having my hair color is pretty good, too. It looked really good on him! Though, I wonder, maybe this time he'll have your hair co- Hm?" Kellam lost his train of thought when he felt Miriel's hand squeeze his own. She dragged her nails lightly over his skin as he turned his head to face her again. When he caught sight of her face, she wore a rather serious expression. She didn't look particularly displeased, but there was a serious glint to her eyes and they suddenly didn't seem as exhausted as before.

"Surely you realize that Laurent inherited more from you than mere hair color," she said as her blunt nails caused shivers to shoot up along his arm.

"Oh, I-I'm sure he got…uh…. something else from me too… It's…just-" he stuttered out, feeling himself verbally stumble about under his wife's scrutiny.

"Since you seem to be skeptical of the fact, I shall merely have to present my findings to you for your own evaluation. Having spent a considerable amount of time with Laurent and observing his interactions with you, I am quite confidant in what I have uncovered. Shall I begin then?"

Kellam was a bit surprised by his wife's tone. There was completely no trace of exhaustion in her features or voice now, but he should have assumed as much. Few things made Miriel more excited than the prospect of either gathering new research or speaking of her discovered findings. Still, this instance was a bit different, but he couldn't quite say what he found peculiar. There was something in Miriel's tone, the way her eyes sparkled as she spoke… while he always loved seeing her enthusiasm, this instance had his breath pleasantly caught in his throat. Either way, Kellam was a bit too curious to ponder on it for longer. He was rather eager to learn which traits of his somehow managed to arise in his time traveling son. "Ah- Y-yes!"

Miriel hummed in thought as she shut her eyes and shifted against the mattress to try and find her ideal placement again among the pillows. When she seemed rather cocooned but comfortable, she smiled lightly. Yet she remained still, not even opening her eyes as she kept the small smile on her lips. In the silence, Kellam was starting to think perhaps Miriel was exacting some sort of revenge on him for his teasing. Pouting slightly and keeping hold of her much smaller hand, Kellam rolled to lay on his side, before shifting himself closer to her on the bed. But as he looked over her features, he then silently debated with himself if he should coax her to answer. She could have been teasing him, but if she had suddenly fallen asleep and he intentionally woke her, he'd feel even worse since she needed her rest. Miriel made the decision for him, however, by lightly squeezing his hand before she began to speak.

"I suppose I should begin with the physical traits foremost, as they are the most noticeable yet hold minimal significance in retrospect… While you are aware that Laurent acquired your shade of hair, he also obtained your eye pigmentation. It was the exact green hue, and when adequately exposed to sunlight, his irises attained hints of yellow, as do yours."

"Wait… my eyes do that?"

"Indeed. The shift in chroma was more observable concerning Laurent, but I have witnessed the same in your own. It requires more effort on my part to observe due to the fact that you squint in most instances when you are within an outside environment. My own eyes do not alter their coloration under any circumstance; they always remain auburn." Miriel paused and turned her eyes to Kellam, gauging his response.

"Wow, that's something! I knew Laurent had lighter eyes than yours, but I never realized ours were the same – or changed color!" Kellam smiled over to Miriel, raising his upper body to cradle his chin in his free hand. Miriel made a small sound, not quite agreeing with his wording but made to continue.

"It is more that the color lightens, but does not particularly change to one anew. Continuing…. I would also like to bring more physical indicators to your attention. Laurent's facial features were near identical with your own in terms of bone structure along the jaw, ear, and lip regions. More notably, Laurent's height-"

"'His height'," Kellam questioned, shifting his head to turn towards her more. "But Laurent mentioned he was rather small for his age as a child. Certainly we're not the same in that regard… I was rather average until I hit my adolescence. Even as I was, I was never smaller than I was supposed to be…"

Miriel had her eyes closed again, but she 'tskd' him a few times for his disruption. Lifting the hand that was still held in his larger one, she moved it side to side in the air to accompany her disapproving sounds. "It would be most beneficial to allow me to complete my statements, dear husband. I do not enjoy when my focus is lost due to impatience." Despite the slightly stern tone to her voice, there was a smile on her lips as she reprimanded her husband in a similar manner to a schoolteacher. Kellam only smiled sheepishly and muttered an apology. Clearing her throat, Miriel continued with her earlier statement.

"As I had originally intended to explain… as an adult, Laurent well surpassed the average height norm for matured adult males. Upon personal introspection, I have therefore concluded that Laurent attained his standing height from you, as well. Though he was quite well away from attaining your own impressive apex, he came well within range of being classified as what many describe as 'tall'. As such, he could not have attained this from me, as any males born within my own prior gene line were below or leveling on average stature. So, ergo, his height must be on your account."

Miriel paused again, to allow her words to properly settle over Kellam. The small smile on her lips grew when she saw her husband's face light up in excitement. She waited patiently to continue, allowing her husband a moment to express himself. "Wow, he really got all that from me? Who would ever guess…well, other than you, Miriel," he chuckled, giving her hand a light squeeze as he held it close her himself again.

"I did not 'guess', as you put it. I merely stated what I acknowledged to be authentic from simple observation. And… if you recall, I professed that I would establish Laurent's physical traits initially. I have yet to mention what more substantial mannerisms he attained from you. Now if you please…" Miriel's tone was more serious than prior. She watched as Kellam grew rather quiet, settling himself back to rest on his side as he gave his wife his full attention. Originally being more than satisfied with the knowledge that he was able to give Laurent a bit more than only his shade of hair, Kellam's curiosity flared immensely at Miriel's statement. He wouldn't deny that he was truly pondering about what Miriel observed as even more worthwhile. The mage cleared her throat lightly, as she normally did right before she was about to discuss findings she was truly proud of. Kellam could barely contain himself when he heard her telltale sound.

"As you are aware, I consider myself a woman of science above many other things, including a user of thaumaturgy. To properly research my subject of interest, I must retain a level of neutrality to any emotional stimuli regarding the field, lest I compromise my own data. With such a continual mindset however, I fear my own understanding of appropriate socialization has therefore become strained. I oft do not realize when I speak to use proper tact, and thus I may cause feelings of a vexatious nature in others. You, on the other hand, husband, are exceptionally perceptive to the emotional welfare of those around you. You are contemplative and mindful of when others speak, and based upon it, you answer in a manner that is judicious and with a sense of prudence. In basic terms…. you are always aware of another's feelings, whether fortuitous or otherwise… Laurent was identical to you in that regard. Though he spoke with an enriched vocabulary such as myself, he was of constant vigilance to the psychological needs of his comrades. Many a neurasthenia and physical mishap would have befallen a number of the Shepherds if not for his attentiveness. The same applies to you…. And, I admit … to being quite envious of you both in this regard."

Miriel paused for a moment to give her husband's hand another firm squeeze. Lifting their joined hands, she rested the back of her own hand to lightly touch his cheek. "Do not underestimate yourself. You endowed unto Laurent just as much as I, and he is all the more exceptional for it."

Kellam could find no words to say to Miriel in that moment. Though normally a quiet man, he found himself with an immeasurable amount of things he wished to express to his wife, but found he could not appropriate the words. Instead, as a gentle smile spread on his lips, he leaned up from the bed and moved Miriel's hand from his cheek to press her knuckles to his lips. His other hand found its way up her arm, gently enclosing her small hand within the cradle of his much larger ones.

Miriel sighed lightly to see her husband in such a state. It was not lost on Miriel that as their relationship progressed during the war with Plegia, Kellam grew less and less concerned with 'being noticed' by his other Shepherds as he turned his focus towards her. Despite his almost life-long obsession suddenly fading into insignificance, there were still times that insecurities crept upon her gentle husband. By nature, he was rather unkind to himself, doubting his own worth, so she found great joy in being able to give him these little reminders. He meant something; he was important…valued… to her … and soon, to Laurent.

…Laurent…

Miriel suddenly found herself rather lost from the moment. With all the speaking she'd done of him, her thoughts suddenly focused solely on the adult version of her son. With the defeat of the fell dragon and the Shepherd's tactician finally found, a thought had stirred in all of the future children. What of the future that they had abandoned? With the Grima of the present and the Grima of their own time both effectively silenced, a journey to their own time was proposed. As expected, all of the current Shepherds as parents begged, pleaded, argued, and wept to their children, in hopes to convince them to stay. Miriel remembered Kellam had tried tirelessly to dissuade Laurent from leaving. But alas, her son had inherited her stubbornness and Kellam stood no chance. The children had prevented a future of utter despair, but they did not want to complicate the present they returned to. What would they do when their present selves were born? Lucina had seen the infant version of herself, and she did not want to complicate the new future of that little girl. Naga had heard their plight and offered her power once more. The children were strong and would be able to rebuild their own time and pave themselves new futures. Miriel remembered that it had been Laurent to first make the suggestion to leave.

A familiar fluttering abruptly spread about Miriel's middle. She had been able to keep herself in check till that moment, but that familiar little movement had out done her. The corners of her eyes prickled with tears, as her throat grew tight from the deep breaths of air she took. Kellam paused when he felt her hand trembling within his, her thin fingers quaking against his skin. Looking to his wife in alarm, he saw her raise her other hand to cover her mouth, in hopes of containing herself. She inhaled deeply before a watery sob escaped from beneath her hand, forcing her eyes shut and letting her tears spill. Kellam held her hand tighter as he moved closer, so that he was almost touching her side.

"…Miriel."

"A-ah…Apologies…I-," she took a deep breath and it seemed to settle her a bit. Keeping her hand firmly over her mouth, she turned her head to face away from Kellam to the far wall before she tried to speak again. "…I fear…I a-am currently…suffering from an…an impe-impet-tu-tuos flux in… my emotional state…I-" Miriel's shoulders trembled as another hitched breath escaped from her. Finally releasing her hand, Kellam reached across the bed and softly grasped her other in one of his. He gently pulled it away from her mouth, suddenly allowing her quick intakes of breath to become more audible. Resting his large rough palms on her cheeks, Kellam coaxed Miriel to turn back to look at him. Her eyes were downcast while she bit at her lip lightly to try and control herself. Kellam massaged the sides of her face with his thumbs and gently repeated her name. He'd seen Miriel have uncharacteristic crying fits before due to a mood swing, but they tended to be over nonessential things and would finish almost as soon as they started. This instance seemed different however, he was not sure how he could tell, but Miriel was not simply going through a mere emotional side effect from her pregnancy. Kellam was not entirely sure he could speak his words properly with the sight before him. Feeling that this was all he could manage for the moment, he leaned forward and rested his forehead to hers.

"It's all right, Miriel," he coaxed in a low voice as he felt one of her small hands grasp his wrist and another along the back on his neck. He could feel the light trembling ease from her hands as she took comfort in his close proximity. They remained still for some time as Miriel's breathing grew under her own control. When he was sure his wife had settled, Kellam pulled back to look at her once more. Using his thumbs, he gently wiped the tear trails that curved over her cheeks, before using one of his hands to smooth the hair along her forehead back into place. Though Kellam desperately wanted to say something in hopes of easing whatever was troubling her, he stayed quiet, feeling that Miriel might explain her cause of distress on her own.

His patience was rewarded as his wife inhaled a few deep breaths to compose herself before she spoke. "Forgive my moment of… gracelessness, Kellam… I fear my own thoughts… had impelled a display of… fervidness that was beyond my own restraint… No doubt in part due to my parturiency…" Despite her words, Miriel's voice was still shaky and Kellam was now positive that this wasn't a mere emotional whim. Clearly she needed a bit more coaxing than he had originally thought.

"I think there's more to it… What's upset you, Miriel," he asked quietly, gently brushing his hands through her hair.

"Ah…" she said after a moment of silence. "You are… correct… Perhaps voicing my thoughts will…be of benefit." She took one final deep breath to compose and collect her thoughts before she continued. "For an indefinite amount of time, our future son… has been the focus of most of my thoughts. Though I did not bear him in the definitive term, I had eventually affirmed him in truth to be of kin. You…. You had been far more accepting to the knowledge than I had, even from so early on…. It had caused me to speculate numerable times, perchance if I had been more… consenting to my intuition; if I had, for once, been comparable to you and perhaps disregarded my scientific skepticism…Laurent may have been offered more of a respite from his burdens. My mind plagues me of perils he may encounter at his current whereabouts, as well as his contentment… We are no longer present to aid him…and yet, I am distraught…conflicted. For I carry him at present, and I am…diffident…I…do not-…I am at a juncture…. oscillating amongst joy and anxiety…And I am….I"

Kellam had remained rather quiet as his wife spoke, watching with a grim expression at her internal terrors. He was not used to hearing her have to struggle to express herself. Out of anyone he had ever met, Miriel had always known exactly what to say to make her point. It pained him to see her so lost and confused. Kellam had always been bothered when he overheard his fellow Shepherds question Miriel's way of expression. They teased that she was too intelligent and serious for such issues, but Kellam had always known better. Settling down beside her, he made sure to press himself close and not put any of his weight atop her, having any bit of his body able to make contact against her side. Resting his head against her pillow, Kellam let his forehead brush hers, curling in close as his fingers methodically combed through the hair over her ear.

"I understand… I think about him a lot, too…. future and present. It's been some time since the children left, but it feels like almost a lifetime ago that we've seen him, hasn't it?…. It's hard…because there's no way for us to check up on him anymore, no real way to communicate. But… we should have faith in him. Laurent's strong, and resourceful… and boy, was he smart, just like his mother," Kellam smiled when Miriel shifted against him from his statement, before he continued. "But… he'll be all right from now on, I'm sure of it. He's not alone this time." Kellam paused, noting how Miriel kept her gaze towards her pillow as she listened. Shifting his fingers to cup the back of her neck, he again tried to coax her eyes to his face. When Miriel finally looked to him, Kellam smiled brightly. "And please don't ever second-guess yourself. It gets me nervous when you do that, you're the most logical one here, not me," Kellam teased, earning an amused look from his wife.

"Fool…"

Kellam let out a small sigh as Miriel settled her head back against him, seeming more at ease than she was earlier. Running his fingers over her ear again, Kellam spoke up. "It's okay to be worried, you know."

"Hmm?"

"You're just being a very good mother. After all, it's one of our jobs as parents. And, despite the rough patches, I think we did right by Laurent. Even though we didn't exactly raise him, we still helped him achieve a future for himself, so that's pretty good. I think if we're capable of that, we can easily do the same for our Laurent, right? We'll make sure he has a happy future this time," he told her with confidence.

All of the insecurities that had somehow crept up on Miriel earlier had been melted away by his words. She still found in inconceivable, at times, how mere words could ease her burdens so. Miriel found it arduous at times to comprehend the impact on the mind and body from the mere emotional countenance of another. It seemed unfathomable that a gentle word or touch could very well counter the afflictions brought upon by injury or emotional calamity. More curious to Miriel, was the fact that her analytical mind should endeavor her to test such theory more widespread, yet she could not bear herself to. With uncharacteristic possession, she desired the emotional and physical comforts from her husband, and her husband alone. Though it defied everything in her scientific nature, in this small regard, she would not research into the fact and strictly validate to herself that Kellam's comforts were all that she required.

With the weight of uncertainty free from her chest, Miriel beamed a smile at her husband. "You are most correct," she said in light tone as she turned her head to catch her husband's lips. The kiss was short, just a brushing of lips, as being on the same pillow made it awkward. Their lips had barely separated before Kellam deemed to rectify the matter. Sitting up again, he placed his arms on either side of his wife to hold his torso above her. Miriel turned her face to him as he lowered enough to press his lips more firmly to hers. She let a pleased hum escape her lips as her arms lazily draped over his neck. Kellam nipped and teased his wife's lips, never needing incentive to shower her in his affections. He only pulled away for the sake of taking a deep breath, smiling when he saw Miriel panting below him, with a smile to match his own. She kept her arms casually crossed at the wrists over his neck, not giving him the leisure to pull away much farther. After catching her breath, Miriel spoke first.

"Ah!…I am enraptured! Even after all of our collective moments shared, my heart rate still dramatically increases from your demonstrations of affection," she said between intakes of air. Her smile had yet to dampen and she tilted her head slightly. "Alas, I fear I was unable to even calculate the measured increase properly," she said, trying to sound disappointed.

Kellam made an amused sound down at her, as he hardly needed an excuse to kiss her. "Well, that won't do. I'll just have to try again, since I can't let you miss out on such groundbreaking data, Miriel."

Leaning down, Kellam pressed his own lips to Miriel's once more. The kiss barely lasted a moment, however, before he felt his wife shift and bump into one of his large arms. Before he could even think to question it, Miriel suddenly pulled back from him with a sharp intake of breath. His wife released her hold on his neck and Kellam leaned back to see what troubled her. Miriel stared up at him with relatively wide eyes and despite the darkness, Kellam could just make out the light coloration on her cheeks. When Miriel saw him looking at her rather questioningly, his features showing utmost concern, she couldn't help but shift her eyes about, unable to meet his gaze.

"My…apologies…. Laurent had suddenly shifted. I unintentionally lapsed into a state of incognizance and was… taken aback, as it were," she stated sheepishly. Well, it was as close as Miriel ever got to sounding sheepish, Kellam thought. He watched as his wife made to continue, but she then suddenly paused and shut her eyes. The corners of her lips turned downward as her brow lowered. Miriel suddenly looked very displeased and uncomfortable, and he was curious as to why. Surely not from such a small mishap…

"Miriel," he questioned as he moved slightly to give her a bit more space from his hovering.

"… It would appear that in part with my temporarily active state, _your_ child feels the need to reciprocate in a manner most unpleasantly energetic."

Miriel sent her husband a rather frustrated glance. With their moment finished and her exhaustion immediately setting upon her from it, she was more than a bit displeased. Kellam could only chuckle nervously before asking in jest, "Is there…a particular reason why he's strictly _my _son when he does something you don't like?" Miriel gave no outward response other then readjusting certain pillows to relieve her newfound discomfort with an accompanying look towards her husband. Kellam took it all in stride, as was his way, before turning his lead to rest on her source of her agitation. Shifting his position, Kellam took his hand and placed it along her belly. Though her middle was quite large now, his hand still covered much of it, especially when he spread his fingers.

"Wow, he's really moving around in there! I bet he knows we were talking about him earlier," Kellam teased as he looked to Miriel for a moment to give her a smile before turning his attention back to her abdomen. There was a small sudden bump under his thumb, and Kellam rubbed it back and forth over the area in acknowledgment. He heard Miriel let out a slight huff and he turned his head in her direction.

"It is quiet entertaining for you, but I do hope he learns propriety soon. Nocturne hours are for rest, not impetuous bursts of activity," Miriel quipped. Her tone was very breathy, and Kellam assumed Laurent was unintentionally making her winded. Chuckling, he gave her a rather sarcastic smile before he continued.

"Really? … Because you seem to feel different about that when there's an 'absolutely fascinating' subject of research in need of review," he teased, while he pitched his voice an octave higher to imitate her most common phrase.

Miriel outright glared fiercely and snapped a, "Do not start!" at him. Smiling apologetically, Kellam decided that that was enough fun for one evening. It was obvious Miriel was at her limit, … and patience, so it would be best for her to finally get to sleep. With the hand still on her stomach, he slowly began to move his large palm in a slow circular motion. "Okay… you heard your mother. Time for sleep, now." Kellam let his hand circle her belly a few more times in the steady rhythmic motion, effectively ceasing all the sudden movement. Miriel let out a small breath of relief beside him and he deemed his task accomplished. With a final little brush of his thumb, Kellam leaned back again to attend to Miriel by giving her a light kiss. She seemed to settle comfortably back upon her pillows, her eyes slightly glazed with fatigue as she struggled to keep them open. With his chaste kiss, she smiled and hummed in satisfaction.

Kellam returned the gesture and gave her a whispered, "Good night, Miriel," before shifting over to return to his own side of the bed. He only made it to the center of the mattress before he felt a tug on his arm. When he turned to her, he was rather surprised to see Miriel pushing herself up slightly while she held his arm. Taking one of her pillows, she placed it between her and Kellam as she turned to lay on her side facing him. As she adjusted the pillow under her belly, Kellam realized her intensions and pulled his own to rest under his head as he lay back down. When Miriel deemed herself properly supported, she settled herself against her husband's side, tucking her head along his shoulder and chest.

Holding her securely against him, Kellam couldn't help but ask with a laugh, "But won't you get too warm?" Despite his inquiry, he really made no hint to let her slide away.

"On the contrary, I will be quite comfortable in all regards this evening. Now then, a pleasant sleep to you, dear husband," she said softly, and he could feel her relax into slumber against him. He paused quietly for a moment, turning his eyes to watch her as she breathed softly. He thought it humorous to realize how drained she much have gotten herself to be able to lose herself to sleep in an instant. Turning his gaze to the dark ceiling, he thought over what he and Miriel had spoken of that evening. It truly was a strange place they were in … with a future son they missed and the same-but-not-quite-the-same son almost ready to be born, it was no wonder Miriel needed a light reprieve that evening. She seemed more at ease now, and he was glad for it. As for himself, he felt strangely calm. His body felt strangely light that evening, not weighed down by worries or insecurities and at the same time, his heart felt incredibly full, almost to burst. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt that way.

A yawn passed his lips and a wave of drowsiness finally seemed to find him before he could think too deeply on it. Settling against his pillow, Kellam let his head tilt to the side to rest upon Miriel's as she slept. His mind was rather numb to thought at the moment, but his body seemed suddenly hyper sensitive. Miriel's breath was pleasantly warm against his skin as he felt the cold sheets of the mattress along his back. The hand that he kept at her waist to keep his wife close seemed to snag the fabric of her smooth nightgown with the calluses on his palms. Miriel had one of her hands resting upon his own, her nails causing light shivers in his skin, though they remained still. His mind only seemed to return to him again when he felt Miriel's firm stomach press into the slight curve of his waist. As his lay there, feeling himself begin to drift away, he thought of Miriel beside him…of Laurent … of a future with all of them together and without six-winged dragons … and… he wasn't sure he'd ever felt so content.

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OH MY GAAAAWWWD! This was such a challenge! No joke I was working on this every night for almost 2 solid weeks. I NEVER spend that much time on writing lol! Ugh, Miriel, why must make yourself so challenging to dialogue?! No joke, mad props to anyone who can and does write her regularly for stuff. Kudos.

But anyway, yeah sorry for the delay with Tactful kind, but here's the reason for it lol. I'm sure I did a pretty poor job on this, but still, there's finally a slightly lengthy Kellam/Miriel piece about now. And I mean, if anyone wants to join my shipping club and write/ draw them, please do so XD

But some finishing notes, yes I do head canon the future children leaving after the war. It seems too awkward and messy to have them around….with themselves beign born and the like. Plus my good friend made a valid point – if DBZ's time traveling seems more legit….there's a problem lol So yeah that's about all I can remember. You know me by now, butchering canon is what I do best!

As always thank you for reading and support! Feel free to check out my tumblr under the name if 'scienceeyes'!


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